Learning to Breathe
by FutureSlayer
Summary: Spike finds Buffy and the group at the Bronze and decides to try to get his messege of love across to Buffy in a new way. Songfic. Set in the 5th season, sometime after "Crush"


Title: Learning to Breathe  
Author: FutureSlayer  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Lyrics taken from "Learning to Breathe" by Switchfoot. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and all characters in this story belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, etc. The plot belongs to me.  
Distribution: Sure, just tell me where your putting it first.  
Feedback: If you like it tell me, If you hate it tell me, just tell me! :)  
Summary: Spike finds Buffy and the group at the Bronze and decides to try to get his messege of love across to Buffy in a new way. Songfic. Set in the 5th season, sometime after "Crush".  
~  
Buffy, Willow, Xander, Tara, and Anya entered the Bronze, all going seperate ways. It was the same routine every time they visted the club: Xander and Anya were on drink duty, Willow and Tara were on munchies detail, and Buffy herself would find every one a table. The group would reunite moments later fully satisfied with their amount of drinks and snacks.  
  
Spliting up right away was easier, so that they would'nt have to play the get up sit down game all through what was supossed to be group hang time. They always sat in the same order too, without even noticing. if they had a round table, which they usually did, it went counter clockwise, starting with Xander, followed by Anya sitting next to him, Tara next to Anya, followed by Willow, and than Buffy.  
  
Tonight was open mic night, and Tara and Willow had rushed off to pick a song for Tara to sing, which she had been dying to do ever since she came to Sunnydale and had first visited the local club. The gang hanged out for awhile, till Tara worked up her nerve and picked a song, which she sang beautifully. Willow was clapping the loudest after her number, pride and love shining from her eyes.  
  
About a half hour later, the gang was still purched at their table, with Anya and Xander or Willow and Tara getting up every now and then to dance. Buffy hated going to the Bronze sometimes, because she was always the one who was stuck sitting at the table, watching people do all that fun stuff that she had never been able to fully do. Sometimes she would get up when the whole group went out, but there was still a sence of lonlieness, when Buffy was once again dubbed drink watcher.  
  
~~  
  
Spike walked into the club, sad and angry. Why? One word. Buffy. The word that made his unlife worth living, and made his unlife a living hell at the same time. Sighing, Spike walked over to the bar and grabbed a beer, instantly spotting the Slayer and her lackys. She was the last person he wanted to see, yet the little voice inside of his heart actually yearned to see her, and that voice won the argument in Spikes head every time he contemplated going to the Bronze.   
  
He saw the sign that read OPEN MIC NIGHT! up by the stage, gave a glance to the Slayer, and made his way towards the book of songs that was by the stage, to try a differant approach in earning Buffy's love.  
  
The scooby gang never noticed the vampire until he was introduced, and on stage. After being introduced, he recieved a warm round of applause, comming from everyone but the Slayer and her gang, all clad with their mouths wide open, gasping in shock.  
  
~~~  
  
The song that he had chosen made him think of Buffy, and also had a semi-long intro, allowing him to work up his nerve before he started his number. The cords of a semi-fast song started to drift out of the speakers, and Spike began singing the lyrics, which he knew by heart.  
  
"Hello good morning how you do?  
what makes your eyes and sun so blue?  
i could ease a first beggining tune  
all of my regrets are nothing new  
so this is the way, that i say, i need you  
this is the way   
this is the way  
  
that I'm learning to breathe  
I'm learning to crawl  
I'm finding that you and you alone, can break my fall  
I'm living again  
a way better life  
I'm dying to breathe in these abundent skys"  
  
Buffy was in shock. When he sang, and boy could he sing, he looked directly at Buffy, as if he was singing to her. Buffy knew he was trying to get his point across, yet she was still less than willing to listen.  
  
"Wow he's good" Willow whispered leaning foward to talk to Buffy.  
  
"Yeah hes ok i guess" Buffy whispered back, brushing it off like it was nothing too big. Spike began singing the second verse on stage.  
  
"Hello good morning how ya been?  
yesterday you left my head kicked in"  
  
*thats right, and I'll stake you later for this* Buffy thought as that line much to her objection actually made her smile, thinking about how well it fit with there relationship. All she ever did was kick his head in!! Spike however continued his song.  
  
"I never never thought that I would fall like that  
never knew that I could hurt that bad"  
  
Buffy felt a small pang of guilt, but shrugged it away.  
  
"I'm learning to breathe  
I'm learning to fall  
I'm finding that you and you alone can break my fall  
I'm living again  
a way better life  
I'm dying to breathe in these abundent skys  
  
in these abundent skys!  
yeeeahhhhh!  
abundent skys  
yeeeahhhhh!  
  
this is the way   
that I say   
I need you  
this is the way  
that I say  
I love you"  
  
Spike sang that line with feeling, his stare digging into Buffy's eyes. She looked down as he continued.  
  
"this is the way   
that i say  
Im yours  
this is the way  
this is the way  
  
Im learning to breathe  
Im learning to crawl  
Im finding that you and you alone can break my fall  
Im living again  
a way better life  
Im dying to breathe in these abundent skys  
  
im dying to breathe in these abundent skys  
  
hello good morning how you do?"  
  
Spike sang the last line of the song, and recieved claps shouts and and hoots from the crowd as he stepped off stage. The employee now at the mic thanked him, but Spike was already half way out the door without looking back at Buffy once.  
~  
He was half way down the street when he heard her call to him.  
  
"Spike wait!" Buffy shouted, hoping that he would stay.  
  
"What do you want now Slayer!? The Bronze is open domain, I had every right to be there" Spike snapped back, unsure of how to talk to her now, so he went with his original insults and the uncaring tone that his voice turned into when they fought.  
  
"You were good in there" she responded quietly, instantly shy for some unknown reason.  
  
"thanks" Spike said back, and Buffy could detect the suprise and sinceraty in his voice.  
  
"Look, I know that you probally hate me---" Buffy started to speak but the vampire cut her off.  
  
"thats not true, I love you, you know that" Spike said, turning around so he couldn't see her, not wanting to find the descust in her eyes.  
  
" I know." Buffy admited before going on. "But I don't think that you really understand how hard it is for me to go through this. You can't love me Spike, it isn't right, I can't do the vampire thing again, I'm *not* getting hurt again. I can't." Spike once again cut her off.  
  
"No one asked for you to run into my arms declaring undying love. I just want a chance, a admission that you feel *something*. And you should know by now that I would never hurt you."  
  
"Its just....th- theres just so much risk involved, so many things that are complicated, so many reasons why it would never work. And despite that, and despite my better judgment I--...." Buffy trailed off, as Spike turned around, hope in his eyes.  
  
"I'll just show you" Buffy said as she closed the distance between them and pulled his lips to her. They kissed long and hard until Buffy had to pull back for air.   
  
" I love you" Buffy said, once the feeling returned in her legs, and her voice could be used again. Spikes face broke into a huge grin as he returned her admision, and pulled her back for another smuldering kiss.   
~  
THE END 


End file.
